I'm Leaving Full Time Ministry

Some 10 months ago I first got the sense that my time in full time ministry was coming to a close. I wasn't sure when and I wasn't sure why, all I knew was that the time was apporoaching. So after months of thinking and talking and praying, it's become apparent that the time for me to leave full time ministry is right around the corner. In December my wife and I are moving to Chicago where I will be pursuing work in Content Creation and Management, Social Media Marketing, and Brand Management. It is an incredibly exciting move, we love Chicago. And I've wanted to live in the city for some time now.

We will be closer to her family (1.25 hours) and closer to my family as well (5 hours), which is much better than where we are know (9 and 14 hours respectively). We will also be closer to some of our best friends. Plus, we'll get to live in Chicago!!! Did I mention how much I'm looking forward to this?! I'll get to take the bus or the El to work everyday....imagine how  many more books I'll get through while someone else takes me to and from work. We'll get to discover new places, cool restaurants, new people, I can't wait.

But this decision has been anything but easy.

We've only been in our house for 15 months, which means if we sell it, we're going to lose a lot of money. Like everything we have saved, which sucks...a lot.  We're also leaving the church and youth group that has become family to us. This is the hardest part. Leaving the people that have cared for us and made us part of their community. Those that have fed us and looked after us, invited us over for holidays because they knew we were so far from family. We have learned so much from the people here at Fellowship Bible Church, leaving is not easy, there will be many, many tears.

Did I mention I don't have a job yet?

Yea. That's not ideal. But I'm looking, hard. There are so many places in Chicago that do the sort of work I'm looking to do. The question then becomes, am I qualified in there eyes, and do I actually want to work for them? So far I've found a couple of places that seem cool but I've got no response, which is lame. At least email me and say 'We aren't picking you." I can handle the rejection.

So, that's where we are at. We know this is the right move and we're incredibly excited about it but there is still so much up in the air. Do we rent our house for a year to try and save ourselves from losing everything? Or do we just sell it, bite the bullet, and start from scratch? Will I find a job in time? We're trusting God in this process as he has proved himself faithful over and over again to us. He is good and these coming months we will have to rely on him more and more, which is really good for us.

I'll be sure to post updates as this process continues to evolve. We would appreciate your prayers and if you want to share some ideas about work in Chichago I am certainly all ears!